As I sit here writing this blog, it is impossible not to reflect on the past year. Last summer I was fortunate enough to join the RPM team as the PR intern. After deciding to come back to Fresno for this summer, I just could not stay away from this office and all the inspirational people who work here.

The look of the office is not the only thing that has changed this year. Last summer, I started my internship as an incoming senior at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. In the past year I have earned degrees in Journalism and Fashion Media with a minor in History. From both my internship at RPM last summer and my experiences at SMU, I have learned a lot about myself that I know I will carry into my new adult life.

For as long as I can remember, I had my heart set on attending SMU. Every time I stepped foot on campus I was in awe, the city of Dallas always filled me with excitement, and the “southern charm” of it all allured me. Once at SMU, picking a major did not come as easy. My first two years were filled with classes in English, Economics, Advertising, and Marketing until I finally found my interest in Journalism.

With my chosen major I was able to anchor for the school’s fashion broadcast show, SMU Look, and report on several professional sporting events in Dallas as a Sports Journalist. What can I say? I have a lot of interests! These were awesome opportunities that pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow as a person, but I was truly drawn to writing. So, I worked as a reporter for SMU’s newspaper, The Daily Campus, as well as for SMU Look, the university’s fashion magazine.

Even though I loved to write I knew that I wanted to do more than just that (I promise my background on being a confused college student will start to make sense soon). While on the hunt for internship opportunities last summer, my mom suggested applying at RPM PR (mothers always know best, don’t they?!). I was worried about getting the job because I could not see the connection between Journalism and PR -- until I talked with Rae.

We realized in our first conversation that we had a lot in common, including a journalism background. When Rae offered me the internship, I felt extremely confident crossing industry lines to work in PR. Since that first conversation, Rae has continued to guide me through my career and I consider her a mentor. She has taught me that understanding and working with media puts both you and your client at an advantage when you want to tell the client’s story.

Rae and the rest of the RPM team have shown me how to add creativity to business, connect the public with companies using media, and apply my writing skills to platforms beyond just magazines and newspapers. I am so lucky to have discovered the strong connections between Journalism and PR and I look forward to spending another summer finding ways to combine the journalist in me with the publicist in me...all with my favorite coworkers.

Pony Up,

Bianca

From the Desk of: Bianca Bonadelle, Public Relations Intern